18/02/2026 05:00 AST
National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has reported a 12% increase in its net profit attributable to shareholders reaching BD18.2 million ($48.3 million) for the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2025, compared to BD16.2 million in the same period of 2024.
The profitability performance was primarily attributable to higher net interest income driven by the group's resilient balance sheet, the bank said.
Earnings per share increased to 8 fils (USD 2 cents) for the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with 7 fils (2 cents) in the same period of 2024.
Total comprehensive income attributable to NBB's shareholders for the quarter decreased by 15% to BD16.7 million compared to BD19.6 million in the same period of 2024. The decrease is attributable to the negative mark-to-market movements of the bond portfolio, the bank said.
Year-to-date
NBB reported a 4% increase in its net profit attributable to the shareholders for the year ended 31 December 2025, reaching a record level of BD85.1 million ($225.7 million) compared to BD81.9 million ($217.3 million) for the year 2024. The increase reflects the group's diversified non-interest revenue streams.
Earnings per share increased to 38 fils (USD 10 cents) for the year compared with 36 fils (10 cents) in 2024.
Total comprehensive income attributable to NBB's shareholders for the year ended 31 December 2025 decreased by 9% to BD82.7 million compared with BD91 million in 2024. The decrease is primarily attributable to the negative mark-to-market movements of the equity portfolio.
Balance sheet
The group's total equity attributable to shareholders increased to BD585 million as of 31 December 2025 compared to BD583.8 million reported as of 31 December 2024.
The group's total assets increased by 14% during the year to BD6,276.6 million compared to BD5,522.2 million recorded on 31 December 2024 and was driven by the Group's core activities.
Dividend
Following the group's strong performance, the Board of Directors proposed a cash dividend of BD79 million or 35% per share equivalent to 35 fils, inclusive of 10% interim dividends announced and paid during August 2025.
The appropriations are subject to the approvals of the regulatory authorities and the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting.
Hala Ali Husain Yateem, Chairperson of NBB, said: "NBB concluded 2025 with record financial results, reporting an attributable net profit of BD85.1 million - a 4% increase over the previous year and the highest annual profit in the Bank's history. These results highlight our financial resilience, which sets us up for long-term growth and sustained value creation. With a return on average equity of 15% and a proposed dividend distribution of 35% for the year, we continue to deliver competitive returns to our shareholders. Beyond our financial achievements, we continued to embed ESG principles further across our operations and financing activities. As we enter 2026, we remain focused on prudent governance and a clear strategic vision to deliver measurable impact for our shareholders, customers, and the Kingdom of Bahrain."
Usman Ahmed, Group Chief Executive Officer of NBB, commented: "We ended the year with an operating profit of BD93.4 million, marking a 3% rise over 2024. Our strong profitability was further supported by continued growth of our balance sheet, with total assets increasing by 14% relative to year-end levels. Loans and advances and customer deposits grew by 6%, reflecting sustained momentum across the Group's core banking activities.
"We continued to deepen our commitment to customer excellence, opening 6 SME across Bahrain, launching digital loan top-ups for our retail customers, introducing host-to-host connectivity for our corporate clients and introducing an AI assisted Chatbot for augmenting service. Our KSA and UAE businesses posted combined loan growth of 52% as we strengthened our presence across diversified customer segments, industries, and solutions. Our employees contributed over 1,000 volunteering hours towards several educational and entrepreneurial programmes. We are committed to building upon our operational strengths and delivering excellence across every dimension of our business."
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